Self-Defense Forces troops deployed to Samawah, southern Iraq, are in a quandary: They want to meet local demand for more aid, but deteriorating security conditions are hindering their efforts to work harder.
"I think they are changing," Hajime Massaki, chief of staff of the Ground Self-Defense Force, told reporters Thursday when asked for his evaluation of local expectations for his troops.
"I'd like to boost the trust of local people through more PR activities and by accelerating the pace of humanitarian activities."